The centrist Emmanuel Macron will face far‑right leader Marine Le Pen in a run‑off for the French presidency on 8th May, near‑final results show.
With 96% of votes counted from Sunday's first round, Mr Macron has 23.9% with Ms Le Pen on 21.4%.
Opinion polls have consistently predicted Mr Macron defeating his rival in the run‑off.
The two fought off a strong challenge from centre‑right François Fillon and hard‑left Jean‑Luc Mélenchon.
Whoever wins the second round, the voting marks a shift away from the decades‑long dominance of leftist and centre‑right parties in French politics.
Source: BBC
